The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-05-05
Was Built Honestly and Paid for Justly
and Faithfully.
Plain Charges Of CulIuslOn Against Many
County officials.
Special pispatch to the DEMOOnAr.

SpeClal DBpAlCn 70 In6 DkMOOhATs
CARRoLLToN, Ohio, April S0.-Messrs
Mccoy, K -hnedy and FerIall, the cOm
mittee appointed by the court to exsm
Inc into the accounts of the County Com
missioners, relative to he building of
the new Court House, filed their report
In Comm n Pleas Court last night.
The committee brings eighteen spe
cific charges against the Commissioners
for being careless, unfaithful and acting
In defiance of the law In allowing Frank
Lucss TO superintend the construction
of the C urt House for the architect and
be foreman for the contractor; in allow
ing the architect and con .ractOr to erect
basement walls and superstTuctures diff
feTeDt from the contract; for change
and departure from the plans; maklng
contracts when not iu session and max
ing no entry on j)urnal of the same;
letting contracts amounting to over one
thousand dollars without advertising
the same; permitting the contractor to
add to his rid after the bids were open.
ed and the contract awarded; allowing
the architect cOmpens tiOn In excess of
the written agreement; fer not exercis-
ing caution In the inspection of the
carpets in quantity and quality; allow
ing John Fl Werner pay for over two
hundred yards of carpet not furnished;
drawing pay for travelling outside of
the county; permitting the contractor
to violate his contract, viz: defective
sewerage, the work on the sills
and lintels, porticO, steps, platform,
dressed stone Of second story, concrete
filling, quality of brick, chimney hue,
Innings, stating roof, steam heating and
removing rubbish.
They find that the architect was un-
faithful, careless, and betrayed the III
teTests he was employed to protect, In
not carefully inspecting the work, thus
allowing John Il. Werner to geG too
much pay by not making plans and
sDeciflcatiOns accurate and clear; by
cOnsenting to changes whereby the con-
tractor was permitted to do inferior
and cheaper work than the contract
bound him to do; he advised changes In
material and allowed the contractor au
exOrbitant price.
They express the opinion that the
architect has OVerdraWn his account
$1,O7O, The plsns for furniture were
careiessly drawn and intended to mis-
lead the bidders, and the terms of the
contract after the bids were opened were
SO changed as to allow the furnishing
of furniture of a different quality and
quantity from that originally intended.
Ex Auditor BillmRn's successor was
paid $3.50 for unfinished work, which
amount was not made good to the
county. Charles Deckman, the fuTni-
ture contractor, of Malvern, gave ex-
cko-i1 otaaIoo AI00 IN oiVn av -Tlnmmia-
siOner Keyes to secure the contract for
the furniture. P. G. Williams, OF Can
ton, was awarded the contract and
Deckman kicked. Deckman's money
was then refunded; this is sworn to by
Mr., Sam Cameron, editor OF the Carroll
County Republican, Harvey Eckley and
County Surveyor Lee. The committee
charges also that Skeeles was the bearer
of bribes in the janltOr award aud sug-
Rested to Lee to falsely estimate
on cutting the channel at Malvern;
that the Auditor collected $500
of unlisted taxes and made no return.
The Auditor stated to Mr.. Sam Cameron
that he was to get $25 from Short &
Forman, of CLEVELAND, for awarding the
printing bills of the Court House and
Jail. The gas machine is pronounced a
failure.
Ex.Sheriffs Roach, Skeeles, Watt and
Coroner Butler have received fees to
which they were not entitled, viz:
Roach S236, Skeeles 1921, Watt $1l5,
Butler $43. Many illegal allowances
to prisoners are not included
in this. The Auditor indexed
over twenty-fOur Thousand words
at eight cents per thousand when he 10
onlv entitled to five cents for such serV-
ice. The Auditors bill OF $3.50 for ex-
ira service In erecting court house jail
Isl uu Just, excessive, extraVagsnt and
illegal. Editors Trip, Cameron and
LAWYERS over charges and accounts are
respectively $50, $117 and $125. No
9heriff's cash book was kept before Cor
Oner Buffers time.
The committee recommend that q
competent architect or builder be ap.
pointed to carefully inspect the build
ings and report the extent to which the
contractor, JOhn s. Melbourne of Can
ton, Is responsible for damages to Car
roll cOunty.
The commItte e's fee Is $464.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
CARRoLLToN, O., April 30--The com.
mittee appointed to investigate crook
edness In county affairs report seven
teen deIelect acts of Commissioners In
direct violation OF statutes, defective
printers bills, and sheriff's accounts
and briberg. further stating that F. o.
Weary, architect Of new county build
Ings, "was unfaithful and careless in dis.
charge Of his duties, betrayed the inter-
ests he was empowered to protect, did
not carefully inspect the work, invaria-
bly reported work done as per contract,
allowed bills to be paid for articles never
received, did not make accurate plans
and specifications, altered them at will
Of contractor, and In various ways ex
hibited an untitness to act as architect.
Further, reporting that Contractor
Melbourne violated his contract In plec
ing defective sewerage, slate roofing,
Rshbar, work sills and llntels, front p0r
tic0 steps and platforms, damp protec-
tion, dressing stone Of second stOry,cOn
crete filling, quality Of brick. chimney,
fiue-linings, steam heating and In re
moving rubbish.
Further, that the on going Auditor
failed 10 index, to, white his suGeessOF
received pay f0I the same " Fk; that Che
present Auditor money never